Expat life

Another win for the Vine & music industry

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Another fantastic win for the Vine, the North East & the music industry! We were never going to let the pandemic silence the Vine & we have some more exciting announcements & awesome events coming up ! Cheers!🍻🥁🎶❤️

💃Dancing is back🕺And at The Vine Hotel live music is back in a big way, thanks in part to a $36,000 grant they were awarded by the Federal Government’s Live Music Australia grants.I dropped in this week to chat to Jimmy, Vikki and the team at The Vine, and Jimmy told me how he had found the grant through the funding finder on my website, applying in August when we were in lockdown with some spare time on his hands.The funding will go towards installation of outdoor stage and equipment upgrades to host a series of summer music events at the Vine – and the funding will help with live music into the future, attracting more bands and keeping costs of tickets down by making it easier for bands to come and play without having to bring more of their own equipment.It was great to chat to Jimmy and hear about all the projects they have on the go – regular all-ages gigs, changes to the staging inside as well.There are businesses like The Vine all over Indi – investing in the future, innovating, and creating jobs for locals. I am proud of the work they are doing and I am working hard to make sure they are supported to reach their goals.If you want to find out what grants your business or community group could be eligible for, you can use the Indi Funding Finder as well. And while you’re there, check out the resources to help your application stand out:https://www.helenhaines.org/resources/grants

Gay conversion therapy has been BANNED in Victoria after the bill passed parliament

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👏❤️ I am a survivor. Had the most traumatic experience in church when I was 18 involving a “friend” that organised a conversion session with a priest in my home town. It left me shaken, confused and lowered my confidence. I ran as far as I could, which ended up being Melbourne & then USA, & finally the UK. Good step in the right direction.

Judge rinder UK feb 2021

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🇬🇧📺🎉 The moment we have all been waiting for! JIMMY VS NICK on Judge Rinder. 

We filmed this over 3 years ago & it’s FINALLY airing! (Scraping the barrel) Nick is now in France, Jimmy in Australia.

All my British favs must join us for a viewing party. Watch Jimmy sue Nick, his ex boss for all his worth for trashing Jimmy’s room & leaving cat vomit, hair & more whilst he was in Australia. 

Wondering why Nick got deported to Paris ? You’ll have to tune in to find out.

 This is one fluffy episode you don’t want to miss

ITV 2pm February 2nd

Grant workshop yields fruit at The Vine

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“I’m delighted that Jimmy Ladgrove’s participation in the grant-writing workshops I hosted last year has led to a $67,100 grant to build up his family’s North Wangaratta hotel as a go-to, COVID-safe live music venue.

I visited Jimmy and his parents Ian and Cathy at their 160-year-old Vine Hotel this week to congratulate them, and to talk about the work the Live Music Venues Program grant has helped to fund. 

The Vine has long had a high reputation for supporting live music and local performers. The grant has helped to pay for a new outdoor stage with sound and lighting, an outdoor kitchen and all-access toilet.

Jimmy told me the application was the first he’d made. ‘I attended your grant workshop which helped give me more of a understanding about grants and ensuring, most importantly, that you’re eligible before you apply. I saw all the resources on your website to find grants and support for small business to help us through COVID. It was a great tool and it’s there I came across the Live Music Venues Program grant from Creative Victoria.’

What a great outcome! As Jimmy says, the new works will boost live music at The Vine and help audiences stay COVID-safe. The funds also helped the family employ seven new staff.

You can find more information about grant resources on my website and through Indi Funding Finder.”

PHOTOGRAPH: With The Vine Hotel’s Jimmy Ladgrove in the hotel’s historic cellar, where the family is planning another project – to tell the building’s 160-year history.

BBC interview on hidden disabilities + New Blue Badge Laws

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My live radio interview with BBC radio Bristol about what its like living with an invisible disability. I’m grateful for the BBC for inviting me in & allowing me to share my thoughts.

BBC NEWS.

As of Friday 30/08/19, people with hidden disabilities in England are now also eligible to apply for blue badges.
Scope welcomed the move but said if spaces are scarce, the badges “are not worth the paper they’re printed on”.
The Local Government Association said councils regularly review parking.
Currently, about 2.35 million people with physical disabilities in England have a blue badge.
Blue badge holders are allowed to park in spaces which might be restricted to other drivers, for example parking on yellow lines for up to three hours, for free in pay and display bays, or in spaces designated “disabled”.
Under Friday’s change – which is the biggest shake-up of the blue badge scheme since it was introduced nearly 50 years ago – people with hidden disabilities, such as dementia, autism or anxiety disorders will also be eligible to apply for the permits.
However, not everyone with hidden disabilities will qualify for a badge, as it will still be up to local councils to decide if an applicant meets the eligibility criteria.
‘Life-changing’
The change has been widely welcomed by charities, including the head of the National Autistic Society, who called it a “huge relief”.
“A blue badge can be life-changing,” said Tim Nicholls, from the charity, who said many autistic people are often so anxious they may find it hard to leave the house.
Ceri Smith, policy and campaigns manager at Scope, also welcomed the move, saying it would make a “real difference” to disabled people with invisible impairments.
However she added: “But in order for it to work, it’s vital that councils issue blue badges to people who are newly eligible to apply.
“More also needs to be done by councils to ensure that there are enough allocated blue badge spaces near shops and amenities to meet increasing demand.”

 

Jimmy Ladgrove

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Shear off video on BBC news

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I did not expect to make UK BBC News , thank you to BBC Radio Bristol & Jonathan David Holmes for piecing this together and getting men talking! 📰 🇬🇧 👨🏻

BBC Shear off video

Bristol man’s 15-inch beard shaved for mental health charity

Ten years ago, Jimmy Ladgrove’s friend Deek took his own life in Albury, Australia.

The event had a profound effect on Jimmy, from Bristol, who recently shaved his 15-inch (38cm) long beard off to raise money for the male health charity Movember.

Before the trim, Jimmy hadn’t shaved his beard for some five years. 

The facial hair which was cut off was then proudly mounted on a plaque by his parents.

If you have been affected by this story, the BBC Action Line has guidance and support on suicide and bereavement.

#ShaveTheDate #Movember

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You can donate here .

https://mobro.co/jimmyladgrove

I started growing my beard in Australia 5 years ago and together we’ve been through the highs and lows that come with life. Beards are known to be a mans most personal possession & I’m proud of the dedication, patience and perseverance it has taken me grow such a magnificent one. Having gone through the grief that comes with losing a friend through suicide, I am doing my bit to promote mental health and wellbeing & help reduce the stigma surrounded by it. I’m brave enough to admit that I’ve held things in when going through hard times. I have suffered with anxiety & at times rather than opening up to my mates, I would open a bottle instead.

Suicide is the leading cause of young deaths in the UK, 75% of which are men. In Australia it remains the leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 44. Globally, the rate of suicide is alarmingly high, Too many men are ‘toughing it out’, keeping their feelings to themselves and struggling in silence. The Movember Foundation is aiming to reduce the rate of male suicide by 25% by 2030, and I want to help them get there. Help me stop men dying too young. In Australia 85 per cent of the population know someone who has died by suicide. From the tradies, doctors, farmers to the members of our LGBTI communities, many have died because they didn’t know how to ask for support when they needed it most. They could see no end to the pain they were living, other than to die. The stereotype that most Aussie males struggle to live up to: The tough, unflinching and unemotional bloke who loves being with his mates and can drink like a sailor. When he’s feeling the pinch, he keeps it to himself. Many Australian & British men are not good at dealing with poor mental health and unfortunately this tips them into a downward spiral of hopelessness, poor decision making and poor resilience to day to day life stresses. SOMETHING’S GOTTA CHANGE. Talk, Ask, Listen, Encourage action, Check in!

Dear Jimmy

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11/11/15

Dear Jimmy,

Hi there, its me, you know the one that’s there with you all day everyday!

Well I’m here to say, calm the fuck down! Sit the fuck down & shut the fuck up.

You are making your body physically sick with all this rubbish you are telling yourself.

Take a moment to chill out and have a look how far you have come.

Take some time to reflect!

Have you not learnt yet that stressing out doesn’t do you, me, or your body any favours?

Yeah life can be shit, we learnt that a long time ago. It can also be great; YOU of all people should know this.  I’ve got some things that I’d like you to accept.

Accept that not everything will always go your way. 

Accept that people are people and sometimes they will let you down.

Accept that just because you care about somebody, doesn’t mean they care about you. 

Accept that there is no good in trying to mold somebody into someone that suits you

Accept that you have to take full responsible for your own life, feelings and emotions.

Accept that you were born alone and you will most likely die alone.

Accept that there will be people that don’t want to talk to you, in-fact they may not even want to look at you.

Accept the reality that you just cannot please everyone.

Accept that you are human. You are not dog, you are human

Accept that you are a very hairy sexually fluid man

Accept that people may find you threatening.

Accept that what people think of you is none of your fucking business. 

Accept that **** doesn’t like you & that it is ****  lose

Accept that you have probably accomplished more in two years than people will in their whole lives

Accept that there are people watching that are hoping you burn

Accept what has happened, its in the past 

Accept any pain, move through it and let it make you stronger

Accept that not everyday is amazing!

Accept that there cannot be a rainbow without the clouds.

Accept that to love at all is to be vulnerable

Accept that you are worthy of love

Accept that what you cling to , you ultimately lose

and once you have gone and accepted all that. I want you to go right ahead and be grateful for all this, ok.

 

Be grateful that you are alive.

Be grateful that you have a loving family

Be grateful that even though you are just 1 in 7billion you are 1 in 7 billion

Be grateful that there are people that love you

Be grateful that there are people that want to see you succeed.

Be grateful you were born in Australia & have the freedom to travel

Be grateful that you had a wholesome upbringing & never went without 

Be grateful you won the genetic lottery

Be grateful you also won the beard lottery

Be grateful to be living in a lovely flat in a lovely city

Be grateful that you realise you can do anything you want in this life.

Be grateful that you have learned patience

Be grateful that you realize time is the most precious commodity 

Be grateful that you learned money wont buy you happiness

Be grateful that you are able to tune into your intuition and use it to steer you in positive directions

Be grateful for being ambitious & goal driven 

Be grateful you find pleasure in music

Be grateful that you were born with a curious nature 

 

Take it day by day!

Remember that reaching out for help doesn’t mean you are weak.

What is for you won’t pass you!

And this too will pass!

Remember Jimmy that I will always be here for you! Never lose sight of where you have come from, where you are going. Remember the only time its worth looking back is to see how far you have come!

Love always your positive self-conscious xoxo

 

If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.  Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath, breath out and just trust that everything will be ok!

11/11/15

 

Dare Iced Coffee Commercial – Australia

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I was cast as a hipster for Dare’s new 12 month Advertising Campaign for their new Cold Pressed Iced Coffee.

We shot the Ad at Little Creatures Brewery in Geelong, Victoria. It was transformed to look like a coffee factory.

As little as my part is I am so proud to be featured in such a funny advert for an amazing brand.

Shot in February 2018.

Dare Iced Coffee

https://www.instagram.com/darecoldpressed/

 

 

Wardrobe Dare iced Coffee Commercial
Makeup

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf4QpSAn-eR/?taken-by=darecoldpressed

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How to get cast on Coach Trip – Jimmy’s Tips

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Original Bristol Post article

A brand new season of Coach Trip has been announced and producers are looking for a new group of outgoing and adventurous Brits to take part.

The reality TV programme’s ratings success has meant the series has been renewed and now 12 Yard productions want people from Bristol to sign up and represent the South West.

To secure a spot on Brendan’s iconic coach you have to be lucky though. Last year, 15,000 people applied to be a contestant on the current season – they only needed between 70 and 80 tourists.

So, to be in with a chance for a trip of a lifetime you can follow my top tips on getting in.

My top tips on applying to Coach Trip

Flexibility – With the trip now going for 40 days, you’re going to have to start sucking up to your boss now to get that kind of time off. The better your availability the bigger chance of getting on the coach. There’s nothing more the producers and tourist’s hate more is when people get there and then next week say they have to go back to the UK for work.

The audition – They only invite select few to an audition, so make sure your application is fully filled out, include interesting things about yourself and include a few clear photos. If you do get an audition it will be a group one first so don’t be boring – you’ve got to stand out. Listen to what everyone has to say and try to be as upbeat and confident as possible.

Don’t be afraid to apply as a solo traveller – If you don’t have a friend that’s as passionate about travelling as you, apply solo! I applied solo and was matched with an amazing girl called Jodie. We are on day 11 without a yellow card and I’ve met a new friend for life.

Be single – Brendan loves it when his tourist find love on his coach, be single and ready to mingle with other tourists. You spend almost 20 hours a day with these people, you never know what you’ll find. There’s more love on this series than any other.

Don’t be afraid to apply with your mum or dad – Although the series is now aimed at a younger audience they’ll still throw a few oldies in. Hannah and her mum Helen are doing well this season.

Don’t worry if you haven’t travelled before – They really mix the coach up with first timers to pro travellers.

Just be yourself – Don’t try and be like anyone that you’ve seen on the show before, they like original people.

Be prepared for a trip of a lifetime – The crew treat you really well and you’re fed extremely well with the accommodation every night often being five or four Star!

Tips for staying on the coach. 
  • To stay on Brendan’s coach you’ve got to remain popular. Be nice to everyone, even if you cant stand someone learn to be two faced and deal with them.
  • Be prepared for long days.  6am call times , with cameras in your face from breakfast all the way through to around 10-11pm.
  • Be prepared everything travelling comes with, the exhaustion, travel sickness, food poisoning, heat stroke.
  • I wouldn’t suggest any alcohol consumption. One tourist was hungover and people voted for him because he was sick and quiet the next day.
  • Be prepared for betrayal and people turning there backs on you.
  • Take the yellow card gracefully! Stay grateful and humble, theres nothing worse than looking ungrateful and spoilt when you get a yellow.
  • Don’t try and be like anyone that you’ve seen on the show before, just be yourself. They like original people.

Jodie was cast via Skype. I was invited to an audition in London after a phone interview.

Shaun & Troy applied last season but didn’t made the cut.

Pearl and Ruby got contacted directly to apply.

Be prepared for a trip of a lifetime! The crew treat you really well & you’re fed extremely well with the accommodation every night often being 5 or 4 Star!
Good luck!

 

To apply, email coachtrip@12yard.com

Include your name, contact number and your nearest city.

Alternatively, you can send your information by post to: Coach Trip Applications, 12 Yard Productions, 1st Floor, 85 Newman Street, London , W1t3EX

 

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Thank you Brendan! Love Jimmy

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I was cast for season 17 of Coach Trip on E4 in the UK. For me this was a huge life achievement. A whopping 15,000 Brits applied to be apart of this amazingly fun show. Before I applied I had never actually seen the show. I don’t own a TV and all I knew about it is that it was a travel show. Sounds dreamy. I went right ahead and applied.

Having never seen the show before meant I had never heard of Brendan Sheerin, one of the most famous faces in the UK, a British gem. Brendan has hosted the show since 2003. He is so dedicated to this series he said he would never do any other program, even though he has been approached before.

Although I hadn’t heard of him before I was genuinely excited to be going on an adventure with probably one of the most well travelled people in the world. Brendan now 58 has explored the world over.

I enjoyed every moment I had with Brendan, He is the funnest most sassiest kind man I’ve ever met.  He is also the most inspiring celebrity I’ve met. His attitude & excitement towards travel was contagious. I’ve always asked myself if I will ever stop travelling, wondering if I will hit a certain age and just settle. Brendan reassured me that maybe the free spirit adventurous nature we both share may just last a life time. I’m so grateful for every day I got to spend with Brendan. I would have loved to last the whole trip, although I am proud of how far I made it.

Theres a lot of chat on that coach that will never make it to the final cut, Brendan would fill us in with amazing and interesting facts and stories about places we were travelling to or through. These fuelled my spirit and got me so excited on all the possibilities and adventures to be had in this life, Theres just so much to learn about the world. The amount of knowledge this man has is truly inspiring.

I also had the privilege to get to know Brendan on a personal level. He took time to tell me a lot about his life and past loves, I would share my stories and struggles I’ve had in my life with my sexuality. It was almost like a counselling session, I felt so comfortable opening up to Brendan.

Coach Trip Road to Tenerife has honestly been the most amazing life experience I’ve ever had. I’m so grateful for the whole experience and its even better that it was captured. I’ll look back on these memories my whole life.

Watching back the series I got to see a whole new side to Brendan, his commentary,  and attitude towards the tourist’s is not only hilarious, I also found it heart warming. I only hope I am as fun, positive & as beautiful as Brendan when I’m his age.

You’ve bought so much joy to people over the years bringing smiles to millions & you’ve inspired me like no other person I’ve met before. Where do I see myself in 20 years? Hopefully guiding fun loving tourists around the world!

I’m sure its not the last time I’ll see Brendan. Brendan is originally from Leeds, England & now lives in Malaga in Spain.

Coach Trip Road To Tenerife continues without me Mon-Fri at 7.30pm on E4

Coach trip road to tenerife Jimmy

Lining up for our next activity on the Road To Tenerife with our legendary host Brendan

 

 

Coach Trip day 4 – Santander, Spain

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Day 4 on the epic road to Tenerife & we got to go fly boarding, something that was very high on my bucket list! I couldn’t believe my luck. It was so so much fun. It is quite hard to master. It requires the perfect amount of balance and concentration. It’s safe to say I absolutely smashed it. There was no stopping me, I got so high & I even managed to do a back flip!

Day 4 we also got to go on an Assault course. Something I’d never done before. It turns out the course was higher than it looked with my partner Jodie having a meltdown up there having to be rescued by the park manager. I am scared of heights but seeing how fearful Jodie was in front of me put me at ease.

Day 4 also saw the shock yellow card to Nathan & Cory. Their flirting with the girls was getting on some tourists nerves.

https://twitter.com/lbmcfc1/status/951540143881707524

https://twitter.com/koalabeardy/status/951541493159813120

 

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Coach Trip Day 3 – Bilbao, Spain

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Day 3 on the coach & after milking some sheep Brendan has blown the budget on a boat party! Day 3 also saw the arrivals of two of my favourite girls, Blonde bombshell’s Pearl & Ruby Day from east London.

I guess you could say I got a little excited with the two new arrivals on the coach and got caught up in the moment. I noticed Brendan was hanging to the side so I decided to twerk on him. I’m not sure whether he liked it but was definitely one of my finest TV moments.

The Boat wasn’t all fun though, It was a rough ride with almost everyone getting some sort of sea sickness! The mixture of booze, excitement and having won the swimming race made me feel very nauseous. Poor Jodie copped it the worst.

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Jimmy coach trip

Coach Trip Road to Tenerife originals day 3

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Dear Naked Attraction..

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Repeats of my episode of Naked Attraction is due to air this week along side my premiere of Coach Trip, So I thought I’d share my thoughts on what I really think of my episode & the series. Leading up to it’s first airing I was very nervous, demanding calming camomile tea from my bff.

C4 Naked Attraction

Jimmy Ladgrove & Anna Richardson on Naked Attraction

Hi Studio Lambert! I hope you are all well,
I just thought I’d send through some feedback for my episode that aired on Friday the 25th! As you can probably imagine I was quite nervous leading up to my episode being aired. This show really took an enormous amount of courage for me to do & I was genuinely completely out of my comfort zone. Please pass onto your hardworking team at studio lambert a big thank you for allowing me to be apart of this amazing production. Everyone I have had the pleasure to deal with from the start to the end of this production was extremely welcoming & professional towards me. Naturally I felt a bit of pressure in studio to perform & although you can’t see from the edit, I was shaking up there next to Anna at the start. Hats off to Anna and her beautiful demeanour for instantly being able to put me at ease so I had a chance for my personality to shine and so I could make the most of the moment.
I wasn’t sure how I would come across with the final edit as I know any thing is really possible with post production. I am really genuinely happy with the end result and how the whole episode panned out. Although I did follow C4 social media guidelines, I also had a little peak at what people were saying. I found some really hilarious comments, I’m not one to take myself that seriously & I had a good laugh. The feedback from my friends and family has been really positive & they mentioned that I came across exactly like I do in real life.
I really believe this series is having a positive effect around the UK & the world on body image and how we view ourselves. I know for a fact growing up in Australia, the only kinds of bodies I seen on TV were beach bods on Home & Away. A big reason for me deciding to do this show was to be an example and project a positive message into the world that its ok if you are attracted to people of the same sex, both or even if you are unsure. I really hope it helps some young C4 viewers who are struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.
Thanks again for embracing me fully & allowing me to be myself on your show.
I wish you and your studio all the best with all future episodes and productions. Hope to work with your team again in the future.
I’ve just been cast for Coach Trip on E4 & I believe my naked experience gave me extra confidence to stand out in my audition.
Much love!
Jimmy Ladgrove
Watch the full episode on demand at Channel4.com

Jimmy on Naked Attraction

Jimmy Ladgrove on Naked Attraction

Contiki Travel Ad 2018

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I was honoured to be cast to be a face of Contiki’s new advertising campaign for 2018. Contiki is a great travel brand that has inspired me to travel since I was around 14. Contiki have a range of tours to suit all sorts of travellers. Whether you like sight seeing or partying. They are also great for solo travellers.

Contiki is a great Travel Corporation-operated coach tour company operating in Europe, Russia, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, and Asia. They organise trips for 18-30 year olds. I highly recommend you follow their social media accounts to get inspired!

Video is now online on Facebook, youtube, instagram and on their website from January 2018

Travel will change you.

https://www.contiki.com/au/en

https://www.facebook.com/Contiki/

Coach Trip Road To Tenerife Bristol Post Interview

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Bristol man to appear in new saucier season of E4’s Coach Trip which hits our TV screens on Monday

A Bristol man will be in the newest and sexiest-ever season of E4’s Coach Trip – and it is not the first time he has appeared on our screens, as he previously bared all on TV show Naked Attraction.

Jimmy Ladgrove, a cheeky and adventurous world traveller, will be delighting viewers on this years’ trip to Tenerife.

The 27-year-old bearded Aussie, who now calls Bristol his home, decided to go on the reality game show to see more of the continent and maybe find some romance along the way.

Set on a coach travelling through Europe, the show is made up of an eager gang of fun-loving holiday-makers.

There are seven pairs of contestants altogether and the teams of two have to battle it through friendships and heartbreak to reach the destinations end.

Each episode a couple is voted out by their fellow passengers only to be replaced by a new couple the following day.

Accompanying them is tour guide and host Brendan Sheerin who attempts to keep the group in check.

Since its re-launch in 2016, Coach Trip has gained a younger audience with the likes of Love Island’s producer being roped in to boost its entertainment factor.

“It was incredible, honestly it’s hard to put into words. It was life-changing,” said Jimmy. “The things we did and got to see and the people we met – it was so good.

“But it was also insane. It was long hours and mentally and emotionally exhausting – and the drama!

“Thing is you get close to these people and then you’ve got to vote people off and give three reasons why – it’s brutal and really uncomfortable, and some people couldn’t handle it.

“It’s definitely all about the hook-ups though. Even after filming there’s still people together now,” he added.

“There was the most amount of hook-ups ever on this season and that makes for a lot of drama as you can imagine. People having a crush on the same person and so on.”

As a single traveller Jimmy was paired with another traveller called Jodie, a glamour model from Leicester, but it was not smooth sailing for the couple.

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“They matched me with this glamour model from Leicester called Jodie and I thought we’d get along great. But she has a phobia of beards so our first impressions of each other wasn’t very good,” said Jimmy.

Jimmy’s beard has taken four years to grow and is now 15 inches long from the ear or 13 inches from lip to tip.

“But, we got along so well in the end we really smashed it – we were even called ‘Team JJ’.

“It was hilarious at first though, I thought I wasn’t going to last two days on the coach. I have this party trick where I pull my beard over my face and put my glasses on and Jodie screamed. I think she thought – why have they put me with this hairy, bearded Australian?” Jimmy laughed.

“I was into her but I wasn’t really her type so I didn’t want to push anything. I’m pansexual so I was going for the boys on the bus too. It was definitely a laugh,” he said.

It is not only the flings and summer romances to watch out for, this season’s coach-trippers have been put through their paces with an exciting array of activities from the enjoyable to downright dangerous.

“This season they have definitely got some crazy activities, some of them were so dangerous,” said Jimmy.

“We would go from doing a pottery class or cheese-tasting to flipping off a bridge and other crazy stuff like that. Unfortunately, heights is one of my worst fears so it was challenging.

“But I did the TV show Naked Attraction before so I told myself if I can do that then I can do anything and I really tried to put my heart and soul into everything. Some of the days you’ll see absolute terror on our faces,” he added.

“I’m glad I am alive and there are some near-death experiences to watch out for.”

This will be series 17 in the programme’s history and will consist of 40 episodes.

Jimmy explained what it was like to take part in competition, and said: “You do really get a feeling of paranoia and awkwardness while filming always asking yourself if people are going to vote for you – it’s more like a fight to Tenerife and you won’t go far if you’re not popular and liked,” he said.

“You’ve got to get on with everyone and this season Brendan has introduced some real twists into the series to mix things up and stop tactical voting.

“One thing I can say is that Jodie and me were very popular and we broke a record but you’ll have to tune in to find out what it is,” he said laughing.

“It really was such a fun experience though, the cast and the crew were great, it was like the crew were having their own coach trip on the way as well. I would like to recommend it to anyone, and encourage people from Bristol to sign up for the next season. I’ve just had the most amazing time,” said Jimmy.

Despite his travels through Europe and beyond Jimmy still believes Bristol is the most beautiful place he has ever travelled to.

He has lived in the city for three years now and calls it his home, he said: “I had never heard of Bristol before I came to the UK. I only stopped off here because I was travelling up to Scotland and I thought, this is a nice place.

“Even after all the places I’ve seen in Europe on the coach, there’s still something about Bristol that’s really magical,” he added.

“I much prefer the climate here, I prefer it cold,” said Jimmy adding that he was not a fan of the Australian spider population either.

To catch the first episode of this year’s Coach Trip: Road to Tenerife tune in on E4 from January 8, 2018.

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Coach Trip – Road to Tenerife C4 Interview

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Secrets out, The reality road trip heads to Tenerife! Under the watchful eye of tour guide Brendan the legend, I was 1 of the very lucky few out of the 15,000 applicants to gain a spot on Brendans legendary coach. 14 new hot tourists kick off an epic 40-day tour. There’s just one catch – the least popular people get voted off.

Coach Trip Road To Tenerife trailer

My interview with The Bristol Post

 

I’ve set a new coach trip record with my bff Jodie Carnall , you’ll have to tune in to see all the drama & absolute lols! This season there’s a very interesting vote twist which changes the course of the game. You can expect more romance in this series than any other with legendary Love Island producer Laura Woolf on board the coach.

This time, there will be six pairings who know each other, plus two solo travellers, Jodie and myself. We will all be competing to stay in the competition.

Coach Trip road to Tenerife originals

Coach Trip Road to Tenerife original cast

It all kicks off in Biarritz in the south of France E4 Mon 08 Jan, 7.30pm

Jimmy

Jimmy is a solo traveller. He is 26 and living in Bristol. Originally from Australia, Jimmy had always dreamt of travelling the world. He has spent the last 8 years backpacking around the USA and the UK, and now wants to travel around Europe! Sounds like the coach is the right place for him to be. He loves his 12 inch beard and hasn’t shaved for 3 years. His essential item on the coach will be his beard oil.

How would you describe yourself?

I’d describe my personality as cheeky, adventurous, fun, a little bit wild, and a bit whacky sometimes.

Are you a worldly traveller?

Yeah, I’d definitely describe myself as worldly. I have done a lot of travelling in the past 8 years, around Australia, North America, the UK and quite a bit of Europe, so I guess I’d see myself as a pro traveller.

Do you have any bad habits?

One of my worst habits is just not having the ability to sit still. I’m bored easily and always looking for my next adventure. I sort of can’t stay in the same place for a long time without having to wander off and see somewhere new.

Would you like a holiday romance?

So I am single. I’ve been single for 4 years, and I am looking. I identify as pansexual, which means I’m open to pretty much anyone so means I’m attracted to all people, and gender is irrelevant. So I’m really looking forward to potentially meeting someone on the Coach Trip.

What would you like to get out of the trip?

The one thing I’d like to come away with from this coach trip is just to see new places that I haven’t seen before. I’m really hoping I can stay on there for as long as possible so I can see as much of Europe as possible.

What are people’s first impressions of you?

Peoples first impressions of me when they meet me are like “Woah, beard!” Basically I just hear “beard”. Sometimes not even a hello, just “beard” or “Gandalf” some people shout at me

What kind of person would you like to be paired up with on the coach?

When it comes to who I’m gonna be paired up with, I’m really open to anything but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t mind if it was someone I felt a connection with and maybe something blossomed on the trip. Who knows? Anything’s possible.

What kind of person would you least like to travel with?

I can’t stand when people are late. That’s probably my number one.

Do you have any fears or phobias?

I do have a fear of heights. I have been trying to conquer that fear. I’ve been on the world’s tallest drop, thinking that would calm my fear of heights. That’s when I’m completely out of my comfort zone – when I’m up in high places.

Have you ever had a brush with fame?

Yeah, I met a lot of famous people when working in Hollywood. I also won a competition to have a date with Kim Kardashian, which was seven years ago, when I was a student. I’ve also challenged Bear Grylls at a game of AUSSIE pong, and was Katy Perry’s server for the night once.

Coach Trip Road to Tenerife

The Queen is a massive fan of Coach Trip and has palace staff tape it so she NEVER misses an episode

 

Road to Tenerife

Jimmy & Brendan from Coach Trip Road to Tenerife

Coach Trip road to Tenerife

Jimmy & Jodie from Coach trip #teamjj

#teamjj Jimmy & Jodie

Jimmy Ladgrove & Jodie Carnall on Coach Trip – Road to Tenerife

Jimmy & Jodie Coach Trip Road to Tenerife

Jimmy & Jodie Coach Trip Road to Tenerife

Coach Trip Day 1- Biarritz, France

Coach Trip Day 2 – San Sebastian, Spain

Coach Trip Day 3 – Bilbao, Spain

Coach Trip day 4 – Santander, Spain

Coach Trip Day 5 – Gijion, Spain

Coach Trip day 6 – Asturias hills, Spain

Coach Trip Day 7 – La Coruña, Spain

Coach Trip Day 8 – Santiago De Compostela

Coach Trip Day 9 – Vigo, Spain

Coach Trip Day 10 – Melgaco, Portugal

Twitter reacts to my hairy body! Hairlairious! – Naked Attraction

/ koalabeard / 4 Comments

I’ve done a few shows now & although the networks don’t encourage it,  it’s quite amusing to see the things strangers say about you on twitter! Everyones entitled to their opinion and I knew what I was signing myself up to. I arrived back into the UK after filming my new show abroad (Coach Trip – Road to Tenerife)  & I daringly typed in Jimmy Naked attraction into twitter and this is what I found… Bless them for taking time out of there day to comment on me.

Jimmy on Naked Attraction. Full story & Interview

Jimmy on Naked Attraction s2

Jimmy Ladgrove and Anna Richardson on Naked Attraction

 

 

Yikes!

Jimmy Ladgrove on Naked Attraction
Jimmy Ladgrove on Naked Attraction date 2017
Jimmy Ladgrove & Anna Richardson on Naked Attraction

Jimmy on Naked Attraction. Full story & Interview

/ koalabeard / 5 Comments

C4 Naked Attraction

Jimmy Ladgrove & Anna Richardson on Naked Attraction

If you were to ask me what the scariest thing I’ve ever done last month I would probably have said  leaving the familiarity of my home country and moving to the UK & US. Fast forward to now & I have just officially done the craziest, scariest thing in my life. I got completely naked on prime time British Television.

Did I just wake up one day and think. Ok I’m gonna get naked on TV? Well…

It all started when I was over at my best friend Chloe’s flat in Bristol. Chloe always has the TV on in the Background, She was telling me about this new naked dating show called Naked Attraction. I had not long finished filming Undressed , another raunchy British TV show. [Undressed does require you to take your clothes off but not completely naked.] Chloe showed me the show & I was genuinely shocked at what I was seeing. I haven’t watched TV for years, and have probably only watched about 3 hours of TV in the 2 & a half years I’ve lived in England. I straight away thought WTF is going on. It was intriguing viewing though & at the same time quite interesting & entertaining! Laughing together Chloe joked that I should do this show next. I straight out said No, that is legit the last thing on earth I would do! I’m confident but not that confident!

A few months later I seen an advert from one of the casting producers on Facebook, I had been friends with him since he stalked me down and encouraged me to apply for another British show called Take me out. I was in Australia at the time of that shows filming so didn’t bother. The advert looked a little something like this.

naked-attraction-2

Due to the massive success of season one , It had instantly been renewed for another season! It was rating really high with millions of brits tuning in to laugh and cringe.

I had gave it some thought, a lot actually & without sounding too cocky, I knew if I applied I would most likely get on it. I knew they would be interested in a confident Bearded 20 something year old Australian that hasn’t man-scapped in over 3 years. I knew they would be looking for a diverse range of people. I watched the rest of the episodes & thought this could be fun! I really liked the host Anna, I thought she was hilarious. So I went right ahead and sent a few cheeky photos. I applied as a bi-sexual man that prefers men.

I’d received a response the next day saying that they would love to speak to me. I responded and asked when filming was as I was due to go on holiday for a month in Australia. They gave me the dates and said for me to contact them again when I’m back in the country. I had a nice month in Australia to really think about what I’m about to get myself into. I had talked about it with close friends and family, to mixed reactions as expected! Although I knew I could make my own decisions, their opinion did matter to me.

I mentioned the format of the show, and showed off some screen grabs. I said how its a really fun, fascinating show that contains full uncensored nudity that would never air in a country like Australia. Its a world first created by the same production company that thought of goggle-box & undercover boss.

On the plane back to the UK, I thought about it again. I was really focusing on the pros and cons and what thoughts were coming to my mind. The thought of it truly did scare the shite out of me. I remembered back to one of my favourite quotes from Bear Grylls, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. Also the ” Try and do things that scare you” . I am a self confessed experience junky & I absolutely love being out of my comfort zone. I have always lived with a you only live once kind of attitude. I pondered whether this could ruin my life or not. Would I ever be able to live it down?

So I arrived back in the UK, contacted them to let them know I’m back in England.

I was swiftly offered a time slot to come to the London studios for an audition. I had been away from Chloe for a month so decided to make it a little London Adventure, I had wanted to see where Chloe was raised and meet her parents for a while now, So we were able to make all that happen while casually getting my clothes off in the centre of London.

The Audition.

It was a fairly bizarre experience, it was held at Studio Lambert in Denmark street which is smack bang in the centre of London, It wasn’t at a TV studio or anything, this is just a flashy shiny big office. I arrived and had to fill out more paperwork then my visa applications in USA & UK put together. Signing my life away quite swiftly, I was then ushered up stairs where there was a full floor of staff working away, off course every single one stared as I was taken in to a meeting room where the windows had been covered in non transparent paper. Inside that meeting room was a white wall, 1 camera, 1 big light & two men. One was a producer on the show, and the other was the show casting researcher that had found me online. Both lovely men. As expected I was asked a lot about my dating history, life and basically anything else. Half way through it was time to take off my clothes. Something I knew I had to do, It didn’t really bother me although I was a bit embarrassed because the nerves and the coldness of London had made my nut suck shrivel into my body & my willy to turn into a wrinkled elephant trunk. I just laughed and carried on talking to two complete strangers about whether or not I like pubic hair, ect. Although I was auditioning for Pan/Bisexual round, We mainly talked about my history with boys. I let them know I had been with more men in my life and prefer men but am open to being with  female and have in the past.

After a few very awkward poses, which included me standing still while they zoom up on my little jimmy & my hairy ass, I was asked to do some modelling/blue steel action. Something I had never really done naked, felt a bit awkie.

I left the audition feeling confident. I knew they found me interesting and I knew that theres a high chance I’ll be on the show.

A week later I received a phone call. It was to say the network and producers really like me and would like me to be on the show. I asked them whether I’d be a picker or in a box, as I had previously made it clear that I am only interested in doing the show If I am a picker. They couldn’t let me know at that stage as they were still finalising all the casting.

I was told I would be on the gay episode which I was fine with. I then received news that they had already secured the pickers for the gay episodes. I was then asked if I would be interested in going on a Bi or Pan-sexual round. Which I actually would have preferred to be. I thought it would be a lot more interesting choosing between male & female!

So I was invited back to London to film some more clips about my history with women and what It means to be Pansexual. I had let them know I have never been a fan of labels , although If you were to label me I would fit more into the label Pansexual.

So what is Pansexuality?

Pansexual is a term where someone is attracted to all genders! Therefor male/female, gay/straight/bi/trans & even people that don’t feel they fit into a gender. To me it basically means I have the ability to love and be sexually attracted to anyone! It doesn’t matter if they have a willy or fanny basically. I could like a man with feminine traits, or I could like a tom boy with a vagina.

The term was fairly new to me, in-fact I had only heard about it about a year ago when Miley Cyrus came out on social media as Pansexual. Growing up people had always tried to put me in a box and label me. Everyone including myself knew I was a little different. I guess gay was the easiest and most generic label. Everyone would call me that from my siblings and their friends to my father and his friends. I guess I had just accepted this label before I even knew If I was or not.

Naked attraction at the time had not yet done a Pansexual round. It was exciting that I would be the first! It meant that I could even have a transgender person in one of the boxes. I had never dated a trans before but am certainly open to the experience. The thought of having a trans in my episode was exciting to me!

What are your reasons for doing this? What goes through someones mind when choosing to do something this bizarre & brave?

There are quite a few reasons why I decided to do it. I was genuinely looking for a partner, for the first time in my life I feel settled where I am in England and feel as if I am ready to meet someone. Not to settle down with , but to join me on my travels. I am genuinely fed up with online dating. Tinder, Grinder, POF, I’ve found it so tedious and have wasted so much of my precious time on this earth trying to find someone on these apps. Not to mention I am also bullied on them. Grindr, the man seeking man app is the worst, anyone can speak to you. I open the app and I am guaranteed to have some kind of hateful message about my appearance.
Online dating in the gay world I find rather disgusting. It’s superficial, and quite shocking what some of these men have on their profile. If I’m not greeted with a ‘why do you have that beard’, or ‘you’d look better with out’ it kind of text, I am sent graphic images of penis’s.
I’d actually deleted all these apps 6 months prior to doing the show, I thought to myself I’m better off just being single and focusing on myself than wasting my time on these apps.
Secondly, I have previously been on two other dating shows and genuinely enjoyed every minute of both experiences, you’re basically letting the casting producers do the dirty work for you, they get to know you on a very personal level and then they select people they think you will get along with. My most recent show was Undressed in the UK, I was matched with a lovely man from London, we had quite a bit in common and got along really well on the show! It was a very pleasant experience and up there with one of my favourite dates.
Thirdly, I did it for my own confidence. It genuinely scared the hell out of me doing this. Conquering your fears is one of the greatest feelings and I knew if I was brave enough to do this, I could do anything. I haven’t always been body confident! In fact I used to be so insecure about my body, I thought I was too skinny, too white, too hairy, not enough muscles ect. It wasn’t until I matured a bit and just learned to accept and love my body that I was able to have the confidence to do this.
Fourthly Growing up in Australia I struggled a lot with my identity & sexuality, I had no one to look up to & I felt like the biggest out cast. I blame the stress of this for not being able to finish school. Now 26 I have a lot more life experience and I have seen the damage this can have on mens mental health. Men that are struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. I knew this show was watched by millions and I knew I could use this platform to project a positive image out into the UK & world, that its ok if you are attracted to the same sex, or both , its even ok if you are not sure. Regardless of me being naked or not I really hope that I can be a positive example to young people out there. Growing up if I had seen a 20 something year old gay, bi , or pan man on national TV it would have bought me hope and reassurance that maybe I am ok just the way I am.
A lot of people say that the people that do this show must not have any self respect. How do you feel about that?
I believe people have chosen to do the show for a wide range of reasons, whether personal or not. For me its the opposite, I believe putting yourself out of your comfort zone is very beneficial for personal growth and development. Like I mentioned earlier I knew if I could muster up the courage to do this, I could do anything, I might now be able to jump out of that plane I’ve been wanting, but putting off for so long.
Did you just do it for your 15 minutes of fame?
No, The format of this show is a bit extreme if you are doing this for your 15 minutes then you’re wasting your time. Its something I spent months really thinking about before I decided if it was right for me. I’ve already had my 15 minutes of fame quite a few times already. Don’t need it again.
What does your family think?
I come from a very supportive huge network of friends and family,  they have always been supportive in everything I choose to do, whether that be moving to the other side of the world or appearing on TV shows. I was actually in Australia at the time of casting, so I was able to discuss it with my close family and friends prior to heading back to the UK. They knew I have always been interested in media production and that this kind of thing is right up my alley. I am already known as the crazy one in my family.
What about your boss? 
I have a really healthy relationship with my boss & everyone I work with. I work at a busy city centre brewery & my boss was very supportive with working around the scheduling of the filming the show. I needed to take days off last minute and he bent over backwards to make sure I could participate. He also approved channel 4 to film at our workplace! My interview was done at work, there is also footage of me working shot at the brew house. I don’t actually own a TV so we are holding a screening in our private room with all our staff & my friends! To top things off my boss has gifted me his spare 42 inch TV thats collecting dust in storage.
What about the owner of the company ?
Earlier this year due to high sales, our CEO closed every pub in the company to hold a big party in London. I was able to meet and chat to him, he has appeared on channel 4’s Made in Chelsea and his daughter is a main character on it. I told him about the show and asked what his thoughts were on me being the face of one of his he’s venues and being stark naked on TV. He said good for me and I can do whatever I like.
How was the whole experience overall?
Overall I found the who experience extremely positive, having been to TV school and always been interested in the industry, to be apart of such a big & outrageous production outside your own country was really exciting. Everyone I met along the way from Studio Lambert & Channel 4 we extremely professional & it just inspired me more to go back to Melbourne and finish my degree in Screen & Media and work with these kinds of creative people. These people are passionate about people, they don’t want to set you up for failure, they want to bring the best out of you. For those that don’t know it can be a long an tedious process to actually get on TV. There are a lot of steps you’ve got to go through. The studio were extremely efficient and very accommodating every step of the way.
So did you actually meet someone you liked?
Surprisingly yes! Yes I signed up to this in hopes of actually meeting someone, I also just wanted to have some cheeky fun & entertain some people. Being on a pansexual episode I was spoilt for choice. I ended up going for a chap named Luke who was from up North near Manchester & Leeds. We did really hit it off. I went and visited him, he came down to Bristol to spend time with me, we then caught up again in London. We even went to Amsterdam together. I was pleasantly surprised that I made a connection with someone on there. Although we are no longer seeing each other I enjoyed the experience.
The producers did let me know that they were taking the matching part seriously & really did their best to match me with people they thought I would find attractive and have things in common with.
Did you find love? 
I don’t think it was, although I defy made a connection with Luke. I think I was just over excited to meet someone with similar taste and outlook on life. It was refreshing & I had a really nice time with him.
You must be majorly body confident to do something like this?
To be honest I wasn’t really, Thats what scared me the most about this. I really was extremely out of my comfort zone. Growing up I always compared my body to my brothers & what I seen in the movies and music videos. I was confused as to what a normal body actually looks like. I would have people tell me I have a nice body, although my mind wouldn’t believe it. I always thought you had to be hairless, rock hard abs, glowing with a nice brown tan & not to forget biceps, to have a nice body. I don’t have any of that. My body somewhat resembles that of a monkey. I do eat well and am extremely active, I also think it is down to good genes.
I used to wax my chest, shave my stomach I once even got a spray tan. These days I embrace everything.
If there was one thing you’d change about your body what would it be? 
I’d have to say, a bit of the hair. I have embraced my hair now, and quite like it , although in recent years I have started to grow hair in random places like the top of my shoulders, my lower back & also I am getting random wings on my back. Is this necessary ?
Lets talk about the willy situation. ..
Ok, theres a quote now that I will be repeating myself for quite sometime. “It was a cold day in Manchester”, You see any man with a penis knows that it can change sizes many times a day depending on mood, temperature ect. Although the studio temperature was fine, I think it was the nerves that made my nut sack shrivel and my shaft to turn into a little wrinkly elephant trunk. I have never been self conscious about my penis size. I am 100% happy with it. I think it is in proportion to my body & I have never had any complaints. I am Defs a grower not a shower, Although I’m not saying it grows into a huge 10inch monstrous cock.
Whats the deal with the pubes? 
When I ditched the face razors, I also ditched the body groomers. I decided if I’m going to be hairy I will embrace everything. So I’ve been growing my pubes for over 3 years now. I used to see this guy when I was around 19-20 in Australia. I really fancied him, although he would only be keen on meeting up if I was clean shaven & I had trimmed my pubes! Looking back , I cant believe I would go this far for a man , But I did. Once I started growing my beard he never spoke to me again. I realise I’ve got a lot of pubic hair and its not for everyone, or anyone. Thats not my problem.
What next? 
Just you wait and see! I’m happy with my life at the moment in Bristol, It’s the first time I’ve felt settled in my whole life. It’s always fun to throw a random spanner in the works and mix things up a bit. I’m going to continue to follow my interest in creating random content. Whether that be online or TV. Its ways fun to look back on. Instead of sending my friends a postcard I’ll just send them We Transfer links of random British TV shows I appear on.
I filmed naked attraction in Manchester, England in April 2017. It first Aired on 25th August 2017.

Jimmy Ladgrove

Jimmy Ladgrove on Naked Attraction date 2017

Naked attraction instagram.jpg